LIKE a welcome snow plough, Pablo Zabaleta finally forced his way through the Stoke blockade for Manchester City to repeat their 2011 FA Cup Final victory against the Potters.

The gritters and an army of volunteers had done their jobs but it took a superior City 85 minutes to get their scoring act together.

No one better epitomises the sleeves rolled up, lung-busting, scrapping contribution to the cause than unsung Argentina international Zabaleta. The headlines are usually reserved for his compatriots Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero, whose goals have lit up a golden trail for the Premier League champions.

They say when the going gets tough the tough get going. Take a bow Zabaleta, who tirelessly stormed forward at every opportunity in search of the goal which would spare his club a fourth-round replay.

Just when it seemed all hope was lost, after virtually battering themselves to a standstill against a stubborn Stoke defence, City took off on yet another attacking sortie. The move was started by Zabaleta deep inside his own half. Not content to be a bystander in the flurry of activity, the full-back galloped into the box.

And when the outstanding David Silva and Aguero combined, the ball fell neatly for Zabaleta to supply a clinical finish.

City assistant boss David Platt admitted: “We get players into advanced positions. It’s not by luck Zabaleta gets into these positions. He has been there many times and he tucked the chance away nicely.

“He is your eight out of ten player every week. He is a top professional, a top man. He is a player who often goes under the radar but he’s not bothered about headlines.”

His goal, which made it a repeat of the Wembley scoreline that secured City’s first trophy in 35 years, also saved Stoke’s Republic of Ireland international Glenn Whelan from unwanted headlines. The Premier League champions, who had already lost skipper Vincent Kompany with a pulled calf, could count themselves fortunate that Javi Garcia didn’t follow him to the dressing room after a horrendous two-footed stamp on the Spaniard by Whelan.

Garcia was left in agony as the former City junior launched himself at the midfielder with both feet off the ground, eventually landing with full force on an outstretched foot.

Referee Howard Webb completely missed the incident, only coming to the stricken Garcia’s aid when the ball went out for a throw.

The fact that he seemed oblivious to the flashpoint will almost certainly allow the FA to order a review, with the likelihood that Whelan will receive a three-match ban. Neither Platt nor Stoke boss Tony Pulis had seen replays of the challenge. Pulis claimed: “The referee is right there. He has a good view of it.”

Evidently not good enough when you are afforded close-up replays of Whelan’s unnecessary aggression.

City, who have now won six games on the run and haven’t conceded a goal in 465 minutes, always appeared to have something in reserve – never having to resort to the turbo-charger.

Much of the energy was expended by Platt, appearing at times to write a novel on sheets of paper which were then studied by Roberto Mancini. The manager was becoming more frustrated the longer the game went on without any tangible City reward.

He saw a string of chances squandered by a side which ended the game with Tevez, Aguero and Edin Dzeko up front together, backed up by Silva and James Milner.

Silva, the fleet-footed magician, was always probing at a Stoke defence which contained two players in Ryan Shawcross and Robert Huth who had defiance written all over them, often placing their bodies on the line.

We get players into advanced positions. It’s not by luck Zabaleta gets into these positions

David Platt

Thomas Sorensen, who has to play understudy to Asmir Begovic in Premier League games, saved well from Tevez and Gareth Barry, while Dzeko dragged a shot just wide. The closest City came to scoring before Zabaleta’s late breakthrough was through smart thinking from Milner, whose quick free-kick was seized by Silva, who fired against the post.